Administrative Duties and Report Writing
Administrative Duties and Report Writing
This domain tests accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and proper form use in DD5s, complaint reports, stop reports, force reports, property vouchers, and court notices.
Core standards
- Write facts, not opinions: time, place, persons, observations, actions, notifications, and evidence.
- Use clear, chronological narratives; identify the legal basis for stops, searches, and arrests.
- Complete required forms before end of tour unless a supervisor authorizes an exception.
- Correct errors by proper amendment, not by rewriting or destroying the original.
- Protect confidential information and route reports to the correct command.
Worked example
A person reports a missing phone. The sergeant must distinguish lost property from stolen property: ask when and where it was last seen, whether it was left unattended, and whether force or threat occurred. The complaint report should record the person's account, not the officer's conclusion. If no crime is supported, document the lost-property report and advise the person of follow-up. If a robbery is described, the sergeant ensures the robbery squad is notified and the scene is processed. The reasoning: the legal classification drives notifications, follow-up, and victim services.
Traps
- Writing subject was disorderly without the words or conduct.
- Omitting times, notifications, and evidence handling.
- Copying another officer's narrative without verification.
- Using a report to argue the case instead of recording facts.